The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has commenced the training of no fewer than 20 unemployed youths in Akwa Ibom state on environmental beautification for self-reliance.
Blueprint reports that the programme tagged, ‘Environmental Beautification Training Scheme (EBTS)’ will last for the period of three months and will cover areas such as hard landscaping, soft landscaping, tilling, horticulture and Plaster of Paris (POP).
The Director General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Fikpo, who spoke during the orientation ceremony for the commencement of the programme at NDE office Uyo on Monday, appealed to the beneficiaries not to allow the effort of the Federal Government to be in vain.
Fikpo noted that the training which is being done by the special public works department of the NDE is aimed at empowering unemployed youths through the acquisition of professional skills in environmental beautification, sanitation and protection.
The DG, who was represented by the Akwa Ibom state Coordinator of NDE, Mr. Obegolu Donatus said through the scheme, youths will be self-employed and self-reliant.
He said that each skill area will be handled by different experienced resource persons in order to ensure their proficiency at the end of the training period.
“Today, we are flagging off the orientation of 740 beneficiaries under the 2024 Environmental Beautification Training Scheme (EBTS) nationwide.
“The above-mentioned beneficiaries will be provided with the needed skills in both domestic and technical areas which is their chosen area of interest to become self-reliant, create wealth and generate opportunities for others.
“The Environmental Beautification Training Scheme (EBTS) was designed to create decent jobs through training and development in the landscaping services value chain.
“The training will last for three months and will impart specialized and marketable skills on the unemployed youths, enhancing their chances of being employed or becoming entrepreneur,” he added.
On her part, the State Head of Department of Human Resources and Deputy Director of NDE, Mrs Uduak Essien congratulated the beneficiary for being the lucky few to be chosen for the training and urged them to attach high level commitment to the training to enable them become employers of labour.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Etoro Akpan, commended the President Tinubu led administration for sustaining the programme, noting that the continuous training of youths for self-employment will reduce crime rates in the country.